So last Tuesday at training which was a very well attended session, Ben had got fed up of waiting in a queue of about 10 boys to bowl and joined me in the outfield and ended up bowling very good Wrist Spin turning the ball both ways with Leg Breaks and Wrong Uns. Looks like as well as being a good seam bowler he's one of those people that can naturally bowl wrist spin or he's been listening to me all this time and keeping quiet? Although I have to admit that almost every night when they're on their way to bed, while one of them is getting ready the other one plays the Peter Philpott game with me where we stand opposite each other and try and spin the ball past one another, so he's been doing that for months now, so has possibly a fairly good grasp of the principles of Wrist Spinning.
But on Tuesday night I was pleasently surprised that he was bowling good Leg Breaks and good Wrong uns at a fair speed and a very good line and consitently as well! The only possible issue was length which was a tad short sometimes, other than that I was very impressed. Maybe in a few years in the Sunday B team we'll have 3 Leg Spinners and all called Thompson!!!!
At the end of the session the coach filled them all in on the possibility that they may get called up during the week to play in a match against the South Essex District U12's which is basically all the best kids from all the clubs in the area stretching from Grays, to Hullbridge and Southend http://www.sedcb.org.uk/governance/clubs-in-membership Ben wasn't up for it 'Why would you want to go and play in a match where you're just goung to get smashed all over the pitch'? I suggested otherwise and that you never know you might even win? His response was 'As if'.
But on Tuesday night I was pleasently surprised that he was bowling good Leg Breaks and good Wrong uns at a fair speed and a very good line and consitently as well! The only possible issue was length which was a tad short sometimes, other than that I was very impressed. Maybe in a few years in the Sunday B team we'll have 3 Leg Spinners and all called Thompson!!!!
At the end of the session the coach filled them all in on the possibility that they may get called up during the week to play in a match against the South Essex District U12's which is basically all the best kids from all the clubs in the area stretching from Grays, to Hullbridge and Southend http://www.sedcb.org.uk/governance/clubs-in-membership Ben wasn't up for it 'Why would you want to go and play in a match where you're just goung to get smashed all over the pitch'? I suggested otherwise and that you never know you might even win? His response was 'As if'.
Later in the week, I got the email that both Ben & Joe had been selected but Joe had other arrangements already in place and couldn't play which I didn't mind as I think Joe would have been more daunted by the prospect than Ben, so that panned out okay. During the week Ben showed no inclination to be up for this match and I suppose like me, he doesn't know how good he is at bowling if you look at the bigger picture. Okay, so he does well at B&PCC sometimes, but then that ability isn't always acknowledged by his team it seems, so there's this sense of caution in that maybe he's just okay? Statistically, if you look at his bowling including friendly and inter-club matches he's up there with the best of them. So if he did play against this Best of South Essex team, it may indicate Ben's true ability?
Tonight though, we were almost caught dozing, in that I thought the meet time was 6pm, but when I got in I checked and it was a 6pm start, so I had to almost fight to get him off the XBOX (Forza) and into his kit and have his dinner to arrive by 6. We made it by a few minutes. Looking around the team that was going to face this super team, wasn't quite what I was expecting and it did look as though it was going to be tough. The good news though was that B&P were fielding first and Ben had to take to the field almost as soon as we got there, so no time to ponder on what was to come. The good news though there were some familiar faces and Frank Farrington was back.
To be continued.............
